This invention relates to the provision of an optional flush system in a portable, outdoor-type toilet system. Conventional portable or transportable toilet units, such as those used at construction sites, outdoor public events and the like, generally comprise a cabana or a housing within which a toilet waste material storage tank is positioned. A toilet structure is formed upon the top of the tank and opens into the tank for gravity collection of toilet waste material and subsequent removal of accumulations of that material from the tank.
Usually such cabanas are made of large sheets of plastic materials which are formed into rear and side walls and a front wall having a doorway and a suitable door, a roof and a floor.
The waste material holding tank which is also formed of plastic material, is normally positioned within the cabana and occupies roughly one half of the floor space of the cabana. The toilet waste material drops, under the influence of gravity, into the tank where it is accumulated for ultimate collection, Typically, the accumulated waste within the holding tank is removed, from time to time, by inserting a pipe, through the toilet opening, into the tank and pumping the accumulated waste material into a suitable tank-truck for removal of the waste to a waste disposal and processing center.
Examples of such types of known portable toilet units are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,167 issued Jun. 3, 1969 to David B. Harding for a "Portable Toilet Cabana"; U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,480 issued Sep. 17, 1974 to George W. Harding for a "Chemical Toilet Cabana"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,572 issued Jun. 28, 1977 to George W. Harding for a "Chemical Toilet Cabana Shell Section"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,351 issued Mar. 25, 1986 to George W. Harding for a "Portable Toilet Cabana"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,671 issued May 23, 1989 to George W. Harding for a "Portable Toilet Cabana"; U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,765 issued Apr. 24, 1990 to George W. Harding for a "Portable Toilet Cabana"; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,435,464 issued Apr. 1, 1969 to David B. Harding for a "Portable Toilet." In each of these examples of portable toilet constructions, toilet waste material is deposited by gravity and held within the waste storage tanks until that material is removed from time to time during servicing of the unit.
Although toilet units of the general types disclosed in the foregoing patents are satisfactory for their purposes, the public has become accustomed to the use of indoor flush-type toilets, so that flush-type toilets would be more desirable for outdoor circumstances. Hush toilet systems are more sanitary, less unsightly and usually do not produce as much offensive odors as do static or non-flush toilets. Thus, it would be desirable to provide flush systems for outdoor toilets where feasible. But, flush-type toilets require flushing water or other liquid which generally are unavailable at outdoor sites, such as construction sites, public parade or other public event sites. Thus, water has to be brought to and stored at the unit for use when needed. This has been impractical because typical toilet units have insufficient room and the cabanas are not constructed in a way which enables the storage, within the cabana, of any considerable amount of water for flushing purposes. Moreover, the provision of a pre-determined amount of flushing water would present a problem where that amount of water is used before the toilet unit is restocked with a fresh supply of water. Hence, it would be desirable to having a flushing system which can be optionally used and which has the ability to store a substantial amount of fresh water or other liquid without substantially changing the construction of the toilet cabana. The invention of the present application addresses these problems and provides an improved outdoor toilet unit with an optional flushing system. Further disclosures of preferred embodiments of this invention are made in copending applications identified as U.S. Ser. No. 08/380,680, filed Jan. 30, 1995 and U.S. Ser. No. 08/380,683, filed Jan. 30, 1995 which disclosures are incorporated herein by reference.